


Clutched

by BepsiiCola



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 09:03:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14745876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BepsiiCola/pseuds/BepsiiCola
Summary: Ryder had no intention of finding romance aboard the Tempest, but romance and love have an uncanny way of showing up. Especially when you happen to fall in love in with a grumpy, 1,400 year old Krogan. Despite that hard outer shell, Ryder discovers there's a softer Krogan under all that bravado. Through a series of stumbling, a relationship begins to bloom.





	Clutched

**Author's Note:**

> I'M BACK FROM THE DEAD, BITCH.  
> This might be slightly out of character, but fuck it. Bioware continually denies me sweet, sweet Krogan banging so I have to make it myself. While there isn't any actual banging in this chapter, there will be in the next. Anyway, thanks for sticking around while I've been dead.

 

Clutched

 

 

Reptilian yellow eyes bore into hers, just inches away from her face. Naked in front of him, Ryder gave a soft breath as his hand moved to her chest. She expected him to be cold, but he his hands were warm. Rough, the scales and centuries of wear on them made a scratching sensation as he touched her breast. It was not unpleasant, her body arching towards him more, begging to be touched again. She wanted to say he wouldn't hurt her, that he could grab her if he wanted, but she couldn't make a sound. They stood in the darkness of her quarters, appearing to be two teenagers that were trying to figure out how everything worked. She heard her name, but it sounded muffled, calling her back from what felt like the Milky Way. “Ryder,” came the voice again, just as another hand reached out and grabbed her. She inhaled, turning her eyes down and watching the hand trace the lines of her stomach before stopping at her hip. She still couldn't speak, but mouthed 'please'. “Ryder!” The hand slipped between her thighs.

Her eyes suddenly opened. Ryder's body was drenched in a layer of cold sweat, looking up at the ceiling of plastic and metal. “For fuck's sake,” she hissed, looking to the door. There was a bang on the door this time. “Ryder!” Even through that much metal, she could hear Liam's accent. Tumbling out of her bed, she less than gracefully walked over and slammed the button to unlock and open her door. “What.” She asked, very pointedly.

“Geez, you look...sweaty.” Taking a step back and looking at her.

“And so do you when you lose your shirt for four days at a time.”

“Fair point. Anyway, just making sure you're up and alive. We're on Kadara, SAM said there might be something on the planet you wanna check out.”

“Right, right.” She reached up, pushing sweaty hair from her face. “I'll be out in five, or ten. Maybe twenty.”

“Maybe next time hang a sign up, I'll know not to bother you when you're..” Liam shrugged his shoulders. “As busy?”  
“I was _sleeping_ , Kosta.”

“Sure, and I just really love showering.” With that, he turned on his heels and left.

“Didn't need to know that, _Liam_!” She shouted back at him.

“Pathfinder, I am detecting unusually high levels of stress and adrenaline in your system. Should I refer you methods to calm your nerves?”

“No, this is..different.” A few moments of silence passed. “Hey SAM, what's the database look like for the Nexus library?”  
“There are over ten thousand entries into the database, all of which were chosen by the difference species in order for the species to preserve their knowledge as well as share it with other sentient beings if they were found.”

“How many did the Krogan bring?”  
“Much of Krogan tradition and history is oral, with very few pieces of written or logged data to be found. Most history has been written by Asari, though the writer Chrak of Clan Akkar should be noted of early Krogan life on Tuchanka.”

For a moment, Ryder remembered what Drack said when they went to rescue the seed transport. “Are there any on Krogan courting rituals?”  
“Limited. There are a few chapters, though at the time of departure, Clan Urdnot was the dominant clan, and as a result, the Shaman gave them for use.” Well, shit, that wouldn't be much help.

“Alright, next question, are there any writings on inter-species relations?”

“Several, which would you like to inquire about?”  
“Human and Krogan.”

If an AI could stimulate and awkward, tense moment, SAM certainly achieved that with his delay. “Pathfinder, I must advise against any type of intimacy with male or female Krogan. Based on current evidence, mating rituals and intercourse can be extremely rough and cause severe damage.”

“SAM, can you just send me the files, please?”

“Very well, Pathfinder. They will be on your private terminal to view at your discretion.”

“ _Thank_ you.” Ryder curtly replied. She couldn't believe her AI actively warned her, yet she also felt slightly weird asking her father's creation on how to get laid.

Yeah, it was better to just ignore that.

Planetside, Drack and Vetra rode in the Nomad with her. “SAM, where was that spot at you told us to look for?”

“Here, Pathfinder. This is the path colonists from the outpost take in order to deliver resources to Sloane Kelly. A distress beacon sent a signal momentarily, before being cut off.” Ryder slowed the Nomad down to a halt.

There, on the path in front of them, a shuttle burned. Pieces of hull and side were shattered, broken up and scattered all over the ground. “This doesn't look good. Think they tried to destroy the signal before it could send?”  
“That is the most probable scenario in this situation.”

“Alright, let's get out and check.” The Nomad's doors swung open, the crew piling out. Ryder had her pistol pulled, at her side and ready. Drack's shotgun and Vetra's assault rifle were also at the ready. Stepping closer, Ryder heard a voice. “Shh! You hear that, someone's still alive!” She rushed forward, feet digging into the soft ground. Up against a nearby rock, she found a person propped up against it. “Hey, it's alright, we're here to help.”  
“Th-thank you...It just happened so fast, we were just trying to deliver our shipment when those Outlaws came from nowhere.”

Privately, SAM suddenly spoke. “Pathfinder, I detect high levels of anxiety, as well as frequent eye movements to your right side. I believe this person is lying.” SAM had never lead her astray before, but that didn't seem right.

“Do you have anyone else with you? You seem pretty anxious, like you saw something.”

“Just one, but I-I don't know where he went, I think they might have drug him off.”

“A hostage makes sense in this situation, if that's wh-”  
“Sniper!” Drack's booming voice broke through the air, suddenly stepping forward to block the shot from Ryder.

The echo was almost deafening from the shot, and Ryder found herself wrestling for her pistol. “Drack!” She turned to look, she had to make sure he was okay. A punch suddenly came, catching her right side.

Okay, now she was _pissed._ Even more so than ten seconds ago. SAM burst a current through her muscles, giving her the strength she needed. Grabbing the person's wrist, she bent it back as far it would go until she heard the _SNAP_. Their scream was agonizing, but ended quickly when she pressed the pistol to their head and pulled the trigger.

“Dra- shit,” her jaw really hurt. Reaching up, she gingerly touched her lip and pulled her hand back. Blood. Figured.

“Drack, what the hell was that?”

“What do you mean 'What the hell was that'? I just saved your life!”  
“No, you almost got yourself fucking killed! And me by extension, because Kesh would've used my intestines for a jump rope!” Drack stepped forward, getting close to Ryder's face. She watched his nostrils flare, exhaling breath onto her. “You've got a lot of damn nerve, Kid. If you die, the initiative loses it's best chance at someone finding them a home.”  
“And if you die, you've got a whole colony and ship of people who lost someone really damn important to them.” They stared at each other, the slits in Drack's eyes suddenly turning paper thin, almost as if he were about to go into a blood rage. “You heard Lexi, goddammit, you can't keep doing this. Not to Kesh, and especially not to _me._ ” Her voice suddenly cracked at the last part, which was enough to make even Vetra turn her head in surprise.

Fuck. Ryder was usually so careful about being professional, rarely letting her emotions come through. Even when her father died, Alec, she kept a brave face until she was alone with Scott in the cryo bay. She cried the entire night.

“Look, we can discuss this later.” Vetra walked over, pushing her way between the two of them. “But right now, we've got to get out of here. There's probably more of them.” She raised her hand to the side of her head, gently touching the comm unit. “Tempest? We need an extraction, meet us at these coordinates as fast as you can.” She turned to them, green eyes filled with concern. “You two, get in the Nomad. I'm driving.”

When they arrived back on the Tempest, Ryder was the first one out. Storming to the armory, she started ripping off her gear. _Stupid, ancient fossil._ She pulled at her gloves, the snaps coming undone. _Fucking idiot._ She was angry, and she couldn't even pinpoint why. “Ryder,” she jumped, turning and pressing her back against the cabinet that housed their guns. “We need to talk.” There was a sternness she hadn't heard before. “About?”  
“You know damn well what about.” Drack turned slightly, pressing several buttons on the wall console. The door slid shut, locking. “That. Down on Kadara.” Ryder felt a lump rise in her throat. She was caught completely off-guard here, with her armor half undone and glove hanging off. She felt more naked than if she were actually naked. “I..” She took in a breath. “Watching Lexi do all those scans, test your prosthetics, check the syncing and your levels of pain, I didn't _like_ seeing all that. I don't like seeing you hurt, and when you told me everything you'd been through – and with Kesh, it hurt. I don't want you doing something stupid and getting yourself killed, especially not for me. I care about you.”

“Ya know, when we met, I thought you were just some glorified Initiative lapdog,” what a way to start a compliment. “But then I joined your crew, you might be new at it, hell, you didn't really ask for the position. But you've done a lot, and not just for your people, but for the Krogan. You took down Spender, you helped the colony on Elaaden, you even put my people first on the Salarian ark.” Drack blinked, looking at her from head to toe before meeting her eyes. “It's refreshing to see that even after all these centuries, I can still be surprised.” He took a step forward, reaching out and wiping the dried blood off her chin. She had completely forgotten about that.

“I guess it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you that I care about you a lot, like, a lot-lot.”

“That one not so much.” Ryder gave a small laugh, reaching up and touching his hand with her bare one. A moment of silence passed before she decided to say fuck it.

She leaned in, pressing her lips against Drack's, and much to her delight (and surprise) there wasn't a jerk back or negative reaction. Much rather, she felt him return the kiss, as best he could. She'd never kissed a Krogan before. Turian, yeah, but mandibles were sharper and a little scalier. Drack's mouth was warm, and softer than she expected. She wasn't sure how long it had went on, but when they pulled apart, she could feel the smile on her face. “Maybe we don't tell anyone about this, for now.”

“Yeah, if Kallo found out, the entire Nexus would know. Hell, probably even the whole Milky Way.” That got a deep chuckle out of Drack. “To think, 1,400 years and I'm kissing a human in a locker room.”  
“Can't say you haven't had an eventful life,” she shrugged her shoulders. Drack turned, walking to the console and pressing the buttons again, the door opening. “I guess you're right, Ryder.”

When the doors closed again, her legs felt like jelly. Sliding her back down the cabinet, she sat on the floor and took in a breath. “Readings indicate high levels of serotonin in your blood stream.”  
“Yeah, that happens when you're really happy.”

Over the next several weeks things seemed to be normal. At least, as normal as they could be. The crew went about their daily things, and at night, Ryder would spend time in the galley while Drack cooked, talking with him and listening to his stories. He had plenty of war stories, as well as plenty of stories about Kesh.

Entering her room one day, she turned towards her desk and noticed a vase there. Sticking out were several types of flowering plants. Though some looked like they had been handled a little too roughly. It looked suspiciously like the one Vorn had created and requested that she give to Kesh. Moving forward, she saw a note was attached to the vase.

_Ryder -_

_Heard humans like flowers, at least that was the easiest thing I could find. Vetra said chocolate is a lot harder to find, especially in bar form. Didn't think you'd want a box of chocolate Blast-O's._

 

_-Drack_

 

A smile broke out over her face. It was sweet, extremely so. Sitting down at her terminal, she opened the file that SAM had sent. There were about ten different files in the e-mail, so she figured she would just start with the first one. _On Inter-species Relations: Human, Krogan, and Turian: A Study on How It All Works_. While the name could leave all lot to be desired, she never the less, opened and began reading.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but only stopped reading when she heard her stomach growl. Ryder needed a break anyway, so this was as good a time as any. Besides, she could thank Drack for the effort he put into the flowers, even if a few were a little banged up. Stepping out of her quarters and into the hallway, she barely made it out when the Med-Bay door swung open and Lexi stood there, hands on her hips. “We need to talk. Now.”

“I can't believe you told Lexi!” Sitting on the edge of the exam table, Ryder looked around her, as if SAM were somehow everywhere in the room. “I acted only in what I believed to be your best medical interest. In the event physical intimacy do occur, I felt it best that Dr.T'Perro know. She is a doctor.”  
“A doctor who wants to cock-block me!”

“Ryder!”  
“Shit, sorry.” Ryder put her face in her hands. This was embarrassing.

“I did not mean to cause any undue stress, but rather offer a helping hand. Your and Drack's relationship has been growing, and I would not want to see you hurt, even inadvertently.”

“So, you really had no intention of telling me?”

“I didn't have the intention of telling _anyone_. I wouldn't have told SAM if it didn't have a direct link into my head.”

“Ryder,” Lexi sighed, grabbing a swivel chair, rolling it and sitting in front of her. “I'm not here to make you feel bad, judge you, or...block you in any way. This is just as serious for you physically as it is emotionally, the same goes for Drack.”

“Drack?”  
“He may not look it, or show it, but he has a big heart. Well, hearts is what he'll tell you. He cares, he really does. If anything did happen to you, or anyone he cared about, it would devastate him.” She paused, looking towards the door. “He's been through a lot, he deserves some type of peace.”

“Lexi, I don't know if anything is permanent, but I want to try.” That seemed to somehow relieve the doctor, and she offered Ryder a tired smile. “Good, now let me give you a few things that will help you.”

By the end of Lexi's impromptu sex ed class, Ryder knew a lot more. Almost more than she wanted to. “Oh, and kill a fiend with him.”

“What?”  
“He brought you flowers. Take him to Elaaden and kill a fiend with him. Just the two of you, he's talked about a big one that lives in the caves not far from the Krogan colony.”

“Thanks, Lexi.”  
“Take care of him, Ryder.”

The Pathfinder smiled, and the door shut as she exit.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> leave me a kudos or comment, I live for and crave feedback.


End file.
